DETROIT, – Local doctors and advocates are working to lower Michigan’s high maternal and infant mortality rates and the financial pressures that come with a new baby.
According to the March of Dimes, Michigan earned a D+ report card last year for babies being born too early.
Genesee County has the highest preterm birth rate at 13%. Wayne County is close behind at over 12%. Both counties’ rates got worse from the previous year.
Macomb comes in third at a little over 10%, up from 2024.
In Detroit, the number is much higher at 16% of babies being born early, for families making early care more complicated and expensive.
Although pre-term rates are high, more babies are surviving.
The infant mortality rate in Michigan has dropped a percentage point in the last decade.
Dr. Sonia Hassan, associate vice president and founding director of Wayne State University Office of Women’s Health and lead of the coordinating center for the SOS Maternity Network, joined Local 4 Live to talk about the community baby shower and what support is available for families across Detroit.
You can watch the full interview in the video at the beginning of this article.